


But Your Innocence is Mine

by androgenius



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greece & Rome, Ancient Greece, Ancient History, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 05:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgenius/pseuds/androgenius
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ancient Greek!AU. Jesse, god of temptation, is looking to take a wife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But Your Innocence is Mine

Upon the pleas from her mother to be careful as she tread into the woods to gather herbs for their supper, Rachel had done her best to reassure the older woman, fastening the straps of her sandals. Unlike those men who often went to sea, she was unwilling to risk treading into the underbrush barefoot, knowing fully well that she had a considerable amount to walk before she would reach the clearing.

Now, having finally arrived at the underbrush she'd been heading for, Rachel gathered up the ends of her dress and crouched down. She'd have to hurry if she wanted to be back by dusk as she'd promised, though that was looking like less and less likely, not yet noticing the stranger lurking in the darkness.

Watching her from afar was no longer an option for Jesse, not when Rachel's suitor was so close to finishing negotiations to marry her, and not when his own desires were starting to become too much to fight.

He might have enjoyed tempting others, but he wasn't a fan of fighting his own urges.

He waited until she was alone to approach her. A tantalizing glimpse of her legs appeared as she lifted her hem up to help collect the herbs for her mother, and that's when he appeared. He plucked a poppy from the ground, holding it out in front of her where she was crouched down.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you."

She'd been humming to herself, certainly, and yet she still felt convinced that she would have never heard his approach even if she had not. It was as though he'd appeared from out of nowhere, Rachel holding her breath as her eyes went wide.

Stammering at the sight of the poppy before her, Rachel shook her head. "Hardly, my lord. I am far from one of Zeus' most beautiful creations upon this earth."

But oh, the man before her was captivating. She'd never seen anyone that appeared truly so radiant, and she cast a nervous glance back onto the path she was to be heading home on as he nevertheless smiled at her, shaking his head. She looked starstruck, and he thought that tempting her would be far too easy, possibly barely worth the effort. If she were anyone else, he might have moved on. But she wasn't. She was special.

"On the contrary. I've seen enough to know that you must be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." He leaned in to tuck the poppy into the hair at her temple, and whispered in her ear, "And a voice that is simply...divine."

Her mother had warned her about this. About her development as a young woman, that many a man would try to tempt her, and most importantly, the importance of _resistance_.

Her whole body seemed to shiver at the way he whispered in her ear, and she let her eyes close, swallowing hard as she shook her head. "I-I... really must be headed home."

He stayed in front of her, blocking the path. The uncertain look on her face suggested that maybe she would be more of a challenge than he first thought. Laying a hand on her bare shoulder, he tilted his head as if looking at her in a new light.

"What's the rush? Surely you have a few moments to entertain an admirer."

He wasn't pushing her overtly, but the hand on her shoulder made her nervous nevertheless, Rachel swallowing hard as she looked to him with another shake of her head, promptly dropping her gaze once more. The way he looked at her was too intense, the stirring in her stomach too much, nothing like when she was with that idiot Iapetus.

"I-I can't. I promised my mother. And this is... perhaps... a bit too private for me to be with an admirer so late, especially one quite so handsome."

He grinned easily, looking at her body in the simple cotton dress. He couldn't help but think how much better she would look in silk. "It's not so late. Surely your mother won't mind if you talk with me for just a few minutes..."

It was always a matter of degrees with mortals, he'd learned. A little here, a little there; they could always justify it to themselves. But a little here and there, over and over again, could take you very far from where you started. With Jesse at the helm, it could very often take a person directly to where they didn't want to be.

"I... really do not think that would be such a good idea, my lord." Rachel stared guiltily into her basket, still very much empty, only a few of the herbs her mother had requested for their supper lining the bottom.

Still, he had a point. Surely just a few moments couldn't hurt, and Rachel moved to kneel by the bushes once more, plucking a few more branches off. "Perhaps... while I work? I'm afraid I cannot offer much more. My mother would be upset even just... to find me talking to a stranger so openly without any shame, and in private, at that."

Jesse slowly circled her, looking in every direction from the clearing that she was kneeling in. It was a compelling vision, and, once he was sure that no one was about, he passed behind her, just barely running his knuckles across the soft brown hair at the crown of her head.

It was soft touches, little temptations like that, that led to the most profound acts of surrendering to one's passions.

"No one is going to find you here." He didn't say it in a threatening manner, more in a way that was meant to soothe any fears she may have about that. For truly, if he didn't wish for them to be interrupted, they wouldn't be.

It was getting harder to resist, and he was barely even trying, shivers running down Rachel's spine as she let her eyes close at the touch of his fingers.

"I-I shouldn't," she whispered, holding her breath as she fought the urge to abandon her promises to her mother. It didn't make sense. Why should this man in particular be so compelling to her? So... convincing?

"Mother would scold me so terribly if I was to be late..." But already her basket was abandoned, impatient hands wringing in her lap, having surrendered their quest to gathering the necessary herbs to another time. The fact that she was already coming up with a lie to tell her mother and sisters was far, far too telling.

It was starting to get dark around them, the long shadows of sunset fading in the dusky haze of the forest clearing. They were no longer sharply defined and outlined in brilliant orange and pink, but rather they were soft and blurred, starting to blend with the impending nightfall.

"But aren't you already late? A few more moments won't make much difference..." There was something about her that captivated him, and he knew that time was starting to slip for her, that she'd be losing track of it far too easily. The willing look in her eyes was the most telling thing, though. She was nearly begging him to give her a reason to stay.

He moved to lean against a tree, taking her hand. "Just because you shouldn't, doesn't mean you won't."

She would lie. Lie and say that she'd come across a man that had frightened her, and in her attempt to get away, had gotten herself lost and missed the path back to their home, that by that time, the herbs were long forgotten as she didn't wish to return to the same clearing where she'd first encountered the other individual.

It would only be a partial lie, and therefore roll off the tongue more easily. But all of this preparation hardly meant that she felt any less guilt in her decision, staring down at the hand he'd plucked up from where it had been resting, moving to stand once more in his wake.

"I... suppose just... a few moments wouldn't hurt."

Information was key. Information held the power to deliver everything a person wanted to their feet. And of all the information you could learn about a person, their insecurities and the things that they hated most about themselves held the most power.

He knew that what she thought of him was a close second to all of that, and he had to put to rest any misgivings she might have been been feeling.

"Of course not." His thumb traced the knuckles of the hand he was holding. "You feel like you can trust me, don't you? Not to get you in too much trouble?"

Rachel was fully aware that this could be a ploy, an elaborate lie to convince her that he deserved her trust just before betraying it. But at the same time, his assumption seemed to do the opposite, put to rest her fears just because he had somehow managed to read her well enough to know that she felt certain, on one hand, of her ability to trust him even despite the obvious connotation behind a clandestine meeting in the woods in the dark, completely alone.

"... yes." Swallowing hard, Rachel gave a slow nod. "But I still know not the purpose of this."

Remembering her response to his comment about her beauty, he sidled closer to her, a soft smile playing at his lips.

There was a way in, a way to get her to give herself over to him completely, but he couldn't just ask her to reveal her deepest insecurities to him. She had to be led there.

"I saw you walking through the forest and found myself starstruck by your beauty." It wasn't a lie, not even a little bit. "I had to tell you."

"Oh, but I am not nearly as fair as some of the other girls in the town. The ones with far more admirers. My features are too harsh for anyone's tastes to be considered beautiful." And yet, still she ducked her head, her cheeks coloring viciously as she smiled at him.

If this was a courtship, it was a most unusual one. Iapetos already held her hand in the eye of her mother and father, no matter how much she disagreed with the decision to let that oaf at her. Did he know, then, of the courtship? Did he simply not care?

"What... what is it that you wish, my lord? Surely, I cannot be mistaken in thinking that I might yet be able to make your evening more pleasant for all the praises you've sung of me tonight, no matter how undeserved they may have been."

"Just because they have more admirers doesn't mean that they're more beautiful," he responded smoothly. "Besides, the physical beauty of mortals is doomed to fade with time."

"Well... perhaps. But I dare not think too long of my own mortality. I find it sobering how little I will still have the chance to do. I am already sixteen, and mother is urging me to find a suitable husband, not that I have much choice in the matter."

He thought it was interesting how reluctant she was to marry, and especially at her age. Surely she already had friends and acquaintances with spouses and children. Did she not want that? Or just not want it with her current suitor?

But with her insecurities identified, which seemed to center around her looks, it was time to take it to the next level and flatter her in a way that she would be likely to believe. Playing on her strengths would serve a dual purpose. First, it would get her to open up and give her a chance to show off. Second, it would all but guarantee that she would lose track of time.

"I have heard that you have a voice that's nothing short of sublime. Would you care to sing for me?"

The formerly somber topic was no match for the words that followed, Rachel's eyes going wide as she stared at Jesse. "I... I suppose I could. If there isn't anything in particular my lord would like to hear..."

Biting her lip, Rachel closed her eyes and began to sing to a familiar tune, one she'd been practicing with her mother just earlier that day, her eyes trained on his whenever she dared to open them.

If he had a weakness, it was his tendency to become enthralled by skilled vocalists. There was nothing sweeter to him than listening to someone sing, and he sought to inspire that whenever he could.

Rachel, in particular, had one of the most naturally beautiful and clear voices that he had ever heard, and he found himself entering a sort of dazed state as he listened to her, his attention raptly focused on her and the song pouring from her lips.

It took him a moment to pick the conversation back up. "That was lovely."

"I'm afraid my suspicions about my lord were correct," Rachel laughed. "You give out your praises far too easily when I hardly deserve them at all." Leaning in closer to him, she smiled, mischief playing in her eyes. "I hardly even practiced."

Pulling back again, Rachel moved to sit, tucking her legs up and under her body, watching him carefully. He had done exceptionally well to get her to relax, but had that been the sole purpose of this? Surely there had to be something else, some end to this.

"I... I suppose it ought to be time for me to return home. I'm already terribly late as it is. Mother will be so worried," she whispered, swallowing hard as she rose from her spot, reaching to pick up her basket only for his voice to stop her.

"Hardly," he whispered softly, drawing her hand into his. "Your mother should not fear for you. You will return in due time, even before the last light of dusk sets on the horizon. And how could you not take a while, with all the herbs you've already gathered?"

"But I haven't--" Turning to look upon it, Rachel's eyes widened as they gazed down on her basket, filled to the brim with plants, flowers, and herbs of all kinds.

Was this all a dream? Had she but dreamt this fateful meeting, the few herbs laid lonely within the woven cradle in her arms?

And what danger was there, truly, in spending her time with a handsome stranger within her dreams?

"I... yes. I could... stay but a little."

Gently grasping her hand in his once more, he carefully raised it to his lips to softly kiss, Rachel setting her basket down as he pulled her in closer, still, his free hand drawing around her hip.

"It would be an honor to spend my evening with but the fairest of all the women in this glorious city-state."

She didn't know how to protest anymore, to argue with him. It was almost as though he'd drawn all of the arguments from her, plucked every single contesting word out of her mouth until only the softest, faintest whisper of _yes_ remained, leaving her staring at him like there was never any other answer possible, as though _yes_ , the way her hip seemed to melt into the touch of his hand, was the only possible outcome since he declared her impossible beauty and slipped the poppy into her hair, because to him, she was beautiful.

" _Yes_ ," the faint, fated words left her lips as she stared up at him in wonder, amazed at how beautiful he seemed to appear all at once, how un-human, as though he were glowing for the whole world to see.

"An honor," he whispered again, his hand coming up to cup at her cheek even as he urged her to sit down on the soft bed of moss under the evergreen plane tree through which the last of the sun's rays had been filtering in on the couple just moments prior.

Willing her to lie back, she complied easily as his hand found her hip again, leaning into her as his arms seemed to envelop her whole form, seeming to be everywhere at once, surrounding her in a comforting cocoon.

"I shall not keep you too long, but I cannot help but be entirely captivated by your beauty," he smiled, charming and disarming enough to make her lean into his hand with a sigh as he cradled her close, the mossy, soft ground beneath her far too comfortable as his hand slipped up to run over her arm.

"... but I do not even know my lord's name."

"Iessus," he whispered back just as quietly as her own words before letting his lips meet hers-- reluctant, at first, but then more insistent, as though only then making up his mind to kiss her fully, needing to gather together confidence and courage that even Rachel knows he doesn't require in her wake.

It had been not ten years back when she'd come to his aid and defended him from the rude scorn of a crowd-- not knowing who he was, or what helping him meant. But he'd remembered, certainly. Enough to return to her and thank her for her loyalty to him, his body pressing eagerly against hers now, trapping her easily between him and the mossy bed of flowers beneath her.

She seemed... enchanted by him. Not that it was hard to be, and he understood, of course, but it did thrill him to see the dreamy look on her face as she gave in to temptation alongside him, his hand running down her side until he was tugging up on her chiton, his mouth eagerly moving down to kiss at her neck.

"Oh--" she gasped, her eyes fluttering closed as she whimpered. His fingers seemed to almost float over her skin, knowing perfectly how and where to touch her. She'd never been touched like this before, had never been alone with a man, but the temptation to give in to just him was far too great to truly deny him, to wish him away. He was different, felt good and safe, and-- wouldn't it make sense to allow herself this one dalliance, another gasp leaving her as his finger found her clit to ghost over-- especially if she had to spend an eternity by Iapetos' side as his wife instead of the man above her now. Didn't she deserve this? Shouldn't she have this kind of passion and love to remember?

"Iessus," she breathed reverently as he cupped her face, his name on her lips like a prayer.

"Yes," he nodded insistently, letting his hand move up to cup at her virginal breast with a soft smile.

He had, of course, lain with virgins before, but she was special. She deserved his touch, his grace, and he could think of no greater gift to offer to her than his child, gently plucking up a lily from the ground to tuck behind her ear into her hair as he aligned himself at her entrance, gently parting her legs a bit further.

"I love you," she whispered softly, seemingly drunk from the sight of him, star-struck as she gazed on his face.

"Yes," he returned once more, gently starting to push inside of her. Even her cries sounded beautiful at the feeling of his thrusting through her virginity, smiling down at her in the knowledge that his instincts had led him right, that she was untouched.

"Oh--" she whimpered as he held her close, his hand grazing over her cheek. She should love him, as anyone ought, being the son of Zeus, but. His gaze on her for her devotion was no less caring, no less loving and devout than her own. If she loved him on faith alone, he couldn't help but love her as he would any other of his followers-- and perhaps more, as the mother of his child.

He let her come twice before gracing her with his seed, in turn, leaning in to gently kiss the tears from her cheeks and her lips, still smiling as he held her.

"Iessus," she prayed to him again as he cupped her face, staying with her just a bit longer as she gave in to the temptation of sleep in his arms.

When she woke on the soft bed of moss, it was no later than dusk, her basket still filled, lily still in her hair. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if she dreamt it all, if the phantom pain throbbing between her legs was a true one.

She was late in spite of his magic, her mother yelling at her for her dirtying her dress, for being out alone so late.

But Rachel couldn't help but feel strangely grateful for the encounter, unable to stop herself from smiling all the next days.

 

&

 

Everything had been all prepared and ready, all planned for the wedding between her and Iapetos- until her mother discovered her secret.

Her sickness, her weight gain, the loss of her monthly womanhood all coming together didn't escape her mother in the least, waiting patiently until she could be certain of her daughter's condition, finally trapping them alone in the garden one day.

"You're a shame to me, your father, your sisters-- the whole family. You've brought shame to this whole family. I hardly know what to do with you. My daughter, a whore--"

"Mama, I didn't!"

"You could have waited, you would have--" she shook her head. "Well, we can't-- we can't keep you. You've already disgraced us-- only Athena can save you now. She can decide your fate. In the woods."

"What?!" Mama, no! Mama, please, please, I didn't do anything wrong! I've been wholly loyal to one man!"

" _Quiet_!"

Rachel dropped to her knees, tears coursing down her cheek, looking up to her mother in despair. "I'll die," she whispered brokenly, her mother turning away from her.

"Only the gods can save you now."

 

&

 

She wasn't even important enough to be sentenced to death. She knew that, in a trial by the gods, she'd inevitably lose, that she'd been left out here truly with every intent for her and her child to starve.

The sun was just barely setting on the small forest clearing, Rachel crying on the bed of moss when a small, tentative noise reached her ears.

Small at first, then more insistent. The quiet bleating, however, proved enough to draw her from her grief, sitting up to move closer to the underbrush only to find a small baby deer hidden there.

Carefully lifting the animal up in her hands, she looked over its slight form, noting a small wound on its hindleg, leaving it whining softly, scuttling instinctively closer to her.

If she and her child had to die, she couldn't help but try to save another small soul in her wake.

Tearing off a piece of cloth from her dress, she carefully did her best to clean the wound, dressing it.

"There, is that better?" Smiling softly as the baby deer began to rub up against her hand, her leg, Rachel laughed, petting it only for it to climb closer once more, almost into her lap. "Would you like to stay with me? Yes? … I may not be here for much longer, but for as long as I might..."

His wounded leg seemingly forgotten, Rachel watched the little thing get up once more, making off to head deeper into the forest, turning back only to make sure she was following him.

But he proved much faster than her, Rachel doing her best to follow after him only to come up to a small wellspring, seemingly having lost her animal companion.

"A girl as beautiful as you should not be out so late."

Catching sight of her visage in the crisp reflection of the pond before her as she turned, the stark realization of her predicament seemed to hit her all at once. What if she didn't die of starvation, but of force? The man was much larger than her, and even in spite of his soft, handsome features... her hand moved to her belly if only for a second, catching herself. Still-- the reminder of her lord stayed fast, and she swallowed hard, thinking quickly.

"My-- my mother asked me to gather some herbs, and I-I got lost."

"It's hardly safe-- but come. My home isn't far from here, and I should be delighted to house such a striking young beauty."

"Alas, my lord, but I have already pledged myself to one man. M-my husband."

The glint in his eyes was only there for a moment, but he slowly nodded, casting a glance over his shoulder. "My wife should be honored to have you as our guest. Please, come. You'll be safe. Just for a while, until day breaks once more that you should safely find your way back home."

Relaxing a bit at his words, her stomach grumbled at the prospect of food, and she finally nodded a bit reluctantly, following the man.

That night, Rachel ate a feast fit for a goddess, the food and drink they dined on as rich and wholesome as she could have ever hoped for, and that night, laid down to sleep in a plush bed, she dreamt of Hermes.

The news of her lord waiting to receive her before noon at the local temple didn't take her by much surprise until after she woke, the hustle and bustle from the other side of her door drawing her from sleep.

"There you are-- you're awake. Please come down-- lunch should be served momentarily."

"Lunch! What time is it?"

"Twenty minutes to noon."

Rachel felt herself pale, her eyes widening.

"Oh-- oh, no, I really must be getting back-- mama will be so worried--"

"Please, we insist! We can't let a guest go unnourished, not when the nourishment clearly counts for two..."

Flushing at the woman's nod to her belly, Rachel felt her heart rate pick up as she explained that she'd be back shortly to fetch her for lunch, watching the key turn in the lock from the outside.

She had to think quickly.

Grabbing her chiton, she tore it here and there in a few places to turn it into a makeshift toga and tie a large chunk of the fabric around her chest to press down her breasts and make them less evident under her new costume, grateful suddenly for her somewhat flat chest as she took on the dress of a man. Spotting a flower vase at the side of the bed and promptly pitching it over onto the floor, she grabbed one of the shards littering the ground to cut at her hair, thick chunks of it falling to the ground. If she was going out the window, if anyone saw her-- not only would they recognize her as the girl meant to be exiled, the girl breaking the city state's law, but she'd never reach the temple, not long enough to stay there and meet her lord, especially not if the man and wife of this household saw her leaving, knowing that she had been their overnight guest. She couldn't be recognized, couldn't make herself so suspicious.

Glancing in the mirror to fix a few more places, she looked on her new appearance, making sure she was completely satisfied. A man. She'd pretend to be a man, just for him.

Grabbing a small stool off the ground, she quickly broke through the window above the bed, easily clambering out, her hand on the slight swell of her belly as she took off running. The temple couldn't be far from here, she recognized this area-- she only had a few minutes left--

Dodging the crowds in the main town square was no less terrifying than her escape, praying no one recognized her with her new appearance, scrambling as she fought not to trip, begging that she make it to the temple in time.

She couldn't be late, she couldn't disappoint her lord.

Panting by the time she reached the temple, Rachel prayed that she'd been on time, kneeling by the small altar. If he wished for her to wait, she'd wait.

 

&

 

In the three days it took her lord to return to her, Rachel's hair grew once more to its former splendor, and, though she ached and hungered and longed to see him and be released, she remained unmoved at the altar, patient and true.

Finally, as the dusk of the third day set in, the sound of footsteps roused her from her bowed position, and she blinked up against the orange glow of the sun shining into the temple from the horizon.

"Come, rise."

Tilting her face up with a finger under her chin, Jesse smiled on her, easing her off of her knees to claim her hand in his, kissing the back of it.

"You passed all of my tests," he whispered softly, smiling down at her. Nurture and care, fidelity, cleverness, and piety-- even without knowing.

"I didn't think--"

"I had been searching for a wife, but no more. Come-- remove your dirtied dress and step off this mortal coil. Accept me as your god and husband, and follow me to your new home on Olympus, the new patron goddess of the voice."

She didn't hesitate, simply taking her lord's hand as she stepped from her clothes to go with him. For, truly, how could she reject him? How could she deny the man before her? He'd offered her life-- not only that of her son, but her own, a new life to live by his side.

 

&

 

Their son Anatolius was born not three days later, painlessly from Rachel's throat, as though her voice itself had given birth to him. He was to become a great king, a noble hero in Greece once he grew tall enough for the proud parents to offer him to the great city-state of Athens, but for now, he never strayed far from his parents' side, his father delighting far too much in teasing even his own son with temptation's wily ways, holding one of his favorite toys just barely out of reach before acquiescing and offering it to him with a laugh.

And though Jesse partook in the same dalliances his fellow gods did, he never found himself truly happier than when he returned to Rachel's side. Perhaps, he couldn't help but think, it was due to their nature as equals, Rachel having had to earn her keep just as much as Jesse had, being born of a mortal despite his father being the great king of Olympus.

And if it were only a question of happiness, there seemed no doubt to him that they should have many more children, Aphrodite's touch of blind lust and Hera's reminder of even marital bliss keeping them more than contented among themselves, the clouds eagerly shielding them from prying eyes as they made love.

_fin_


End file.
